Semperance
by Zoey Seraphine Bates
Summary: Brennan deserves someone who loves her and only her.
1. Proposal

Brennan pulled him in close and kissed him. She looked into his deep brown eyes. "I love you," she said for the first time.

It had taken him years, but she finally loved him. That's all that mattered to him now. She was his, and he was equally hers.

"I love you too sweetheart," he replied and kissed her forehead. She laid back against his chest in his bed. He found her left hand and held it with his left. He quickly found the velvet box from the nightstand with his right. He whispered in her ear "Temperance…"

"Mmm?"

"I know it's kind of sudden, you just saying you loved me for the first time and all, but I…I just can't lose you again. Marry me.""Yes. 1,000 times yes!" He slid the ring on her finger and she turned around to kiss him. Out of breath, she breathed "I love you so much Sully."

"You too Tempe."


	2. Listen

"Bones, you _can't_ marry Sully. You just _can't_."

"Why not Booth?"

"We're meant to be together. I know we are."

"Then why did you date Hannah?""Bones, what was I _supposed_ to do?"

"You were supposed to wait for me. Since you thought we were meant to be together."

"You told me it'd never happen.""Wrong. I said I needed to protect you because I didn't have your kind of heart."

"Did you ever consider maybe I didn't care? Bones, all I _wanted_ was you."

"Then you should've taken your opportunity when I told you I loved you when you saved me from being hit by that car!""I was with Hannah! I couldn't just throw her out on the street!"

"Then stop trying to drive me and Sully apart! I can't throw _him_ out on the street. Not after all he ever did was love me."

"But he doesn't love you right."

"What?"

"Sully. He doesn't love _you_ the way _you_ need to be loved. You know it's true."

"How exactly do you think I need to be loved Booth?"

"You need a guy who can see you from 20 feet away and know exactly what you need, exactly what mood you're in. You know a guy who knows when he needs to be rough with you and when he needs to be gentle."

"But Sully does know-"

"You need a guy who will do anything to protect you. You _need_ a guy who's willing to give his life for you the _moment he needs to. You need a guy who's gunna treat you right Bones, and I'm not gunna be happy until you're with that guy."_

"_Sully does treat me right Booth. He does…"_

"_Look in my eyes!" he grabbed her shoulders and held her at arms length. "Look, and see my soul. Tell me what your heart thinks!"_

"_My heart doesn't think. Not anymore Booth."_

_She turned around and quickly started to walk away. "Bones! Come on Bones!" She didn't look back. "What's that supposed to mean?"_


	3. Run Away

Suddenly she turned back. "It means you broke my heart Booth! That's what it means! So excuse me for not exactly caring if I don't end up with the perfect guy, 'cause I've already tried to be with the perfect one, but that didn't work."

"I was with Hannah! Be fair Bones!"

"I am being fair! You should've waited!""I couldn't have wasted my whole life Bones!""Then I obviously didn't matter!"

Her chest was rising and falling heavily as she gasped in breaths. A tear fell from her eye and she quickly swiped it away with the back of her hand.

"Oh Bones…" he touched her shoulder before going to pull her in for a hug.

"Don't touch me," she snapped.

"You know what Bones?"

"What?""Sully didn't love you enough either. He left to go sailing on a boat."

"A boat he named after me."

"And he left without you. If he knew you were the one he wouldn't have done that."

"You just _proved_ how right I am!"

"Yeah Bones. I fucked up. It happens. I lost the best thing in my life, and now she won't take me back all because of one _stupid_ mistake," he punched the wall of his apartment and broke through it. "One _minor_ screw up and you can't forgive me!"

"I'm sorry Booth…"

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry for everything. How this worked out."

"How exactly _did_ this work out Bones?"

"With me marrying another man."

"Run away with me."

"What?"

"Run away. With me. We can leave tonight, we can leave right now. I don't care. Just leave Washington D.C. Go someplace that means something to the both of us. Do something to make us grow closer, to make up for this stupid fight and all the bad feelings."

"Booth, it's not rational-"

"Bones, I don't care what's rational. All I know is I want to leave this place for a week, with you."

"Well…alright. I'll tell Sully it's for a case, but that no one's supposed to know-"

"No. Don't tell Sully. Don't tell anyone. Just leave, with me."

"Right now?"

"Right now. As soon as I take you home to pack a suitcase. Let's run away Bones," he started laughing.

"Where are we going to go?"

"Aurora. My _best memories with you are there. Apart from the Christmas kiss. Vegas is a close second. I'll get us the same hotel room and we'll go to the same bar and dance all night. Bones, I'm gunna make you love me. I don't care how long it takes."_


	4. Kiss

She spun on her heel and stormed back to him. Her eyes were blazing with anger. "It means I don't care about anything anymore!" She practically screamed in his face.

"Bones-" he started.

"I don't want to hear it! I'm getting older! I'm in my mid-thirties! Life is ticking by! I can't just wait for someone who's never going to come!" She paused to calm herself. "I need to settle down and have kids if I want them. What I don't need is to sit around and watch my life pass me by. The time in my life where I wait for you…it's over. I can't keep waiting for a man that might not ever come."

"So you'll marry a man you don't love?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Bones, marriage doesn't work that way!"

"How does it not? Feelings are nothing but chemicals in the brain triggering-"

He pressed his lips against hers to silence her. Instead of what he expected, being pushed away, she melted into him. "Oh god Booth…" she whispered.

"What chemicals came into play on that one?" He asked as she rushed out of the room.


End file.
